Charles



UNITE STATES FATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. SCHMITT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WORK-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,773, dated December 1, 1857.

T o all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. SCHMITT, of t-he city, county.j and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Article for Ladies Use-viz., a Combined Vork- Box and Escritoire; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a transverse vertical section of my improvement; the plane of section passing through the center. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of ditto; the plane ot section passing through the center. Fig. 3 is a plan or top View of ditto; the top being raised, and the desk lowered and extended.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction of the article, the arrangement of the desk and recesses for receiving writing implements and sewing articles, together with an arrangement of secret drawers, the whole being constructed and the several parts disposed as will be hereinafter fully shown and described. The whole constituting an improved article of manufacture.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a box of rectangular form, provided with a cover or lid B, which is hinged to it in the usual way. The lid B has a recess (a) formed in its inner side, and a flap (E) is hinged to the inner side of the lid to receive letters. This flap is arranged in the usual way and is commonly applied to ladies work boxes.

In the upper part of the box A recesses are formed to receive writing implements, see Fig. 3, in which (c) is a recess for pens, (d) represents an ink stand (e) a sand box, (f) are recesses to receive wafers or other articles. At the center portion of the upper part of the box a recess is formed for receiving sewing articles. This recess is provided with a cover (g) having loops attached to its upper surface for holding scissors and sundry articles. A recess (It) is also provided for receiving spools of cotton and a recess is formed each side of the recess (it). The recesses (i) (i) (f) (f) are provided with covers. Directly below the recesses above described there are placed four drawers. The drawers extend the whole width of the box, and the two drawers (j) (j) which are placed one at each side of the box are transversely of square form, or are about as wide as they are deep. The two center drawers (Z) are placed one over the other and occupy the entire space between the two side drawers the drawers (j) (j) and (7c) (Z) are separated by partitions (m). The front side (n) of thebox is hinged or jointed at its lower end to the front end of the base (o) and a flap (p) is hinged to the upper end of the side (n). Then the side (fn.) is turned down and the fiap (7)) turned over inthe same plane with it, as shown in Fig. 3, and by the dotted lines in Fig. l, a writing desk or escritoire is obtained or formed.

To the front of the lower center drawer (l) a pen rack (g) is attached.

The two side drawers (j) (j) rest on plates or horizontal partitions (r), which are just equal to said drawers in width. The drawers (le) (Z') are supported by guide strips (s) attached to the sides of the partitions (m) as shown clearly in Fig. 2. A sliding plate or bottom (t) is placed underneath the lower center drawer This plate or bottom (t) when shoved entirely within the box A is retained in proper place by a catch which is formed of a pin having a beveled upper edge or surface, said pin having a spiral spring (o) around it and attached to a vertical rod which extends upward by the inner side of the back of the box and is flush with the upper surface of the back lining (m). The upper end oit' the pin (u) catches in a recess formed in the under side of the inner edge of the plate or bottom (t). The pin (u) is retained in the recess (y) by the spring (o). Underneath the plates or horizontal partitions (r) (r) drawers (e) (a) are fitted or placed, one underneath each partition (r) and a drawer (a) is tted between the two drawers (z) and underneath the sliding plate or bottom (t).

The drawers (z) (e) and (ax) are secret, that is they cannot be observed, and a person unacquainted with the construction of the box would have no suspicion that it contained such. The drawers are intended for private letters, jewelry, etc. The plate or bottom (t) is removed by depressing the upper end of the rod (fw) and thereby throwing the upper end of the pin free from the recess (y) the plate or bottom being thrown a little out so that it may be readily grasped by the hand, by means of a small spring To remove the secret drawers the lower drawer must be removed. It will be understood that when the front side Aof the box is raised, the flap (p) is folded down against it as shown in Fig. 1.

This article is quite portable, may be constructed in an ornamental style at a'moderate cost, and form a new and useful article of manufacture for ladies use.

I do not claim, separately or apart from the general construction of the box or escri toire, any of the parts herein described; but

CHARLES C. SCHMITT.

Witnesses:

W. TUsoH, I. W. CooMBs. f 

